Improved coating for oil barrels and casks



UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. TITUS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVED COATING FOR OIL BARRELS AND CASKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,018, dated November25, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL H. TITUS, of the city of St. Louis, in thecounty of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new anduseful Coating for the Inside of Vessels for Containing Petroleum-Oil;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription of my invention and the mode of compounding, preparing, andapplying the same.

The nature of my invention consists in the preparation of a compound andits application to the interior surface of casks or containingvesselsfor petroleum-oil, coal-oil, and their products, which liquids areliable to permeate or soak through the wood of their ordinarycontaining-vessels. This coating is not dissolved nor penetrated bypetroleum-oil nor by its vapor. By my invention the great expense ofusing metallic casks for holding such oilsis obviated, while the cost ofpreparing the ordinary wooden casks with my impervious coating forholding such oils is but trifling.

For the purpose I have named I first mix sulphuric acid with water inabout the proportions of one ounce of acid to five gallons of water;then dissolve glue in the acidulated water in about the proportions ofone pound of glue to five gallons of water. This solution, socompounded, when heated to as near the boiling-point asit can be usedconveniently, is applied to the interior surface of the vessels bypouring in a bucketful (or any other sufficient quantity) and thenmoving the vessel so as to run the solution over every part of itsinterior, and then immediately pouring out all that does not penetrateor adhere to the surface of the cask. After having used a quantity ofthe solution for coating a cask, the portion that is poured out shouldbe reheated before being applied to another cask. It may be applied tolarge open vessels with a brush. The acid causes the solution to be morefluid and to penetrate the surface of the wood-particularly hard,close-grained wood-better than a simple solution of gclatine. It alsoadds to the ordinary capability of the gelatine to re sist the absorbingaction of the oils.

I would here state that I do not mean to con fine myself to the use ofsulphuric acid, as any other acid, when used in proper proportionsaccording to its strength, will subserve the same purpose. I havespecified sulphuric acid for reasons of economy; but at the same time Iintend to use any of the acids, in combination with the gelatine, forthe purpose specified; and I would also state that I do not mean toconfine myself to the exact proportions named of glue and water, as theproportion of glue used should vary with the quality of the glue andwith the temperature at which it is applied. For reasons of economy, inproportion as the temperature of the cask or of the solution is loweredthe proportion of glue should be less, so that too thick acoating maynot adhere to the cask.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

The solution of gelatine, compounded substantially as specified, and itsapplication to the interior of casks and other vessels, in the mannerand for the purpose substantially as described.

SAMUEL H. TITUS. Witnesses HENRY DOUGLASS, Jos. E. BALDWIN.

